Saturday, April 29, 2006

April Simple Still Life

Here is my April Simple Still Life - I started with a photo of some Birthday flowers for Morgan. You can see the flowers and how they looked out when I played with them in Photoshop, if you look down a few days. I almost stopped after just putting the couch down - I kind of like the way it looks - I even used both sides of the fabric! You can see the chalk lines which I still need to add with stitching. Maybe tomorrow I will get a chance to quilt it - if not - at least I've been playing with fabric!

Friday, April 28, 2006

Asilomar Beach Photo

If you click on the photo - you will be able to see a landscape view of the beautiful beach in front of Asilomar - Fortunately it was not raining when we went down there - one of only 2 afternoons without heavy rain!
I will post about our class with Hollis this weekend - it was one of the most disappointing workshops I have ever experienced.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Altered Art -Trees Vaginas & Landscapes

When Timi and I went to California - Cindy took us sightseeing to see the Redwoods. I took a ton of photos of the trees - there was one which looked like a vagina - see it really does - Laume thinks it looks like a spine, but if you tell someone you took a photo of a tree vagina - you will get their attention. Right now Morgan is sitting on the couch laughing hysterically and Tom is stammering that I shouldn't talk like this in front of OUR Daughter!

I took the photos and played with it in Photoshop - I'm not sure what I will end up doing to this one but - it was fun playing.

Landscape at Twilight

F is for...

My Wordplay list continues... if you want to play or would like to see others who are playing, go To Laume's WordPlay blog...
  • Face - I've enjoyed learning to paint Faces, and seem to spend more time now looking at "interesting" ones.
  • Factory – I work in an old turn oF the century Hat Factory. I even worked in this building 25 years ago. Now I work For a public relations company, then I worked For a Chinese Importing company.
  • Fair – LiFe isn’t Fair – get over it!
  • Fall – I love Fall – I love the colors, the crispness and the Food!
  • Fashion – Not something that I worry too much about – I oFten Find out I am back in style by the time I think to change.
  • Father – Very important part oF my liFe.
  • Fawn – I’m expecting to soon see a bunch oF them, adding to our herd.
  • Feathers – SoFt, Floating
  • Female – I enjoy being a ‘girl”
  • Fettuccini – How can this have 93 WW points?
  • Fiber - ICK
  • Friends – Can’t live without them
  • Fingerprint – I’m Fascinated by them
  • Flamingo - PINK
  • FluFFy – Cotton candy
  • Flowers – I preFer them in the garden, but the deer eat everything here – so I’m FORCED to have cut Flowers!
  • Fog – Driving into the mountains the wisps mesmerize me
  • Folk music – Always present in my childhood home
  • Forever – I do not want to live Forever
  • Forget – I Forget more than I remember these days.
  • Forgive – its its not liFe threatening – its not worth getting upset.
  • Fractals – I wish I could learn how to make these
  • Frisbee – I suck throwing one but still try - occasionally
  • Fudge – Chocolate or Marble
  • Fruit – Can’t think oF a single one that I don’t like – ok I don’t like cantalope and honeydew
  • Future – I’m looking Forward to mine
  • Fuck - such a great expressive wonderful word! I use it too oFten - oh well!

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

E is for....

Continuing the WordPlay Personal Dictionary
Email – thE way thE world communicatEs, today EmErald – I lovE this stonE and thE shapE of thE cut EnchantEd – wouldn’t it bE fun to livE an EnchantEd lifE? EntanglEd – A long ovErduE projEct which I havE bEEn unablE to find thE timE for – high on my list of To Do’s EscapE – onE of thE bEst things wE can do for oursElvEs. ExcEllEnt – Much closEr to thE way I’vE bEEn fEEling sincE my surgEry. EyE – my EyEs arE hazEl and I lovE thE color – somEtimEs grEEn, somEtimEs bluE(ish), or EvEn goldEn. Hard to dEscribE EtiquEttE – What has happEnEd to simplE EtiquEttE? WE arE in nEEd of this common simplE courtEsy and it takEs so littlE to actually givE it – yEt wE arE all too involvEd and too busy to usE it – onE of thE things I think is rEally wrong in thE world EnErgy – I NEED MORE – what can I say? ElopE – thE EasiEst way to gEt marriEd , Tom and I mostly ElopEd. EmbErs – I lovE looking at thE EmbErs of a dying firE – thErE is somEthing warm and comforting in thEm. Emu – I’vE bEEn trying to find a local placE to buy Emu oil – I hEard it might bE good for Tom’s LymE disEasE. East = I livE on thE East Coast and in NEw England, both placEs I lovE.

D is for...

  • Dawn - My mother's name & a beautiful time of Day that I see often Daughter Morgan is my Darling Daughter
  • DiamonD - My birthstone
  • Dark - Often my mooD anD certainly my humor
  • DayDream - Something I Don't Do nearly often enough - some of my best frienDs spenD hours DayDreaming
  • Dessert - the perfect way to start a meal
  • Destroyer - A book series that my DaD, Warren Murphy is the author of. MaDe into a very campy movie with Joel Grey.
  • Dye - I useD a lot of Dyes in my class recently - I was DisappointeD with the results. But Dyeing my velvet scarves earlier this year proviDeD intense saturateD color more beautiful than I imagineD
  • Diet - I DiD pretty well last year on my WW Diet, but it is now time to get back on the program - these pounDs slip back on much too easily - DAMN IT
  • DooDle - I Do this much less than I useD to, DooDling was fun
  • Dream - I Dream in Black anD white, although sometimes there are bursts of color which cause Dizzy squeals of Delight!
  • Different - Something to strive to be
  • Digital - the way of the worlD
  • Dog - I can't forget Button
  • DONE!!!

Simple Still Life

I've joined the Simple Still Life group.

This month's theme is Floral.

I had some photos that I took 2 weeks ago of Morgan's birthday flowers. Here are a few ways I screwed around with them.
But then I also had some images of last year's iris' that I loved, so I'm not quite sure which ones I'll end up working with - maybe both!

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

C is for .....

Continuing Catch UP
Here is my WordPlay List
California - where I just visited after taking Class with Hollis Chatelain's - what Can I say. Caffeine - Makes the entire world better Cursing - got a problem - too fuCking bad Cheating - Totally unaCCeptable, unless you are playing Cards with my family CharaCter! When some says she is a CharaCter - I think of my Grandmother Cake - Not as good as PIE Camera - Something I've been using a lot Cat - Currently we have Hunter - he is a sweetheart Casket - Did you know you Can buy these at... CostCo? CostCo - Did you know you Can return anything (exCept pC's) forever, with their open ended return poliCy? Cauldron - Every good witCh needs one - maybe I'll find one this year at a flea market Cemetery - I love the old ones with monuments and family plots Champagne - One of my favorite things ChoColate - Another favorite (Is there a limit?) Clouds - Morgan’s room is painted in Clouds Color - I LOVE COLOR Crayon - Crayola or nothing Creative - Something I strive to be Crystal - I love Crystals, espeCially double terminated ones CyniCal - WHO ME?

Monday, April 17, 2006

Catching Up!

Here is a quick synopsis (I tried to keep it short - LOL) of what I've been up to since my birthday. Hope to get all caught up this week. There is a Laume
  • Winchester Mystery House
  • Lunch with Laume's friend Kathy
  • Hotel In Santa Cruz
  • Julie and her son come over to the hotel to pick us up, Julie brings great Birthday Presents!
  • Owen's play Inherit the Wind
  • SLEEP
    • Saturday (The only rainless day)

      Check out of hotel
    • Make arrangements to meet Cindy
    • Timi, Laume, Cindy and I go to see the Redwoods
    • Drive to Capitola
    • Have Lunch at Zelda's with Jaye, Owen, Red Deer, Cindy, Julie, Timi and Laume - This was the most beautiful day and I felt wonderful sitting in the sun!
    • Walk around the town - buy a huge gift for morgan - which is being shipped
    • Head off to Hotel in Marina - check in
    • Drive to a couple of beaches and take photos
    • Go to Cannery Row and wander around, eat dinner and take more photos.
    • Back to the hotel
    • SLEEP
    • Sunday

      • Check out of Hotel
      • Squish into Laume's over packed car (Filled with Timi and my suitcases)
      • Drive back to Monterey and meet Cindy and her 2 kids at the Aquarium.
      • We spent several wonderful hours getting a personal tour by Alex and Megan, took a ton of photos.
      • Force Laume to leave the Otters
      • Take a picturesque drive to Asilomar
      • Check in - find our room
      • Show up 2 hours late and find out that Hollis has been talking for over an hour
      • Dinner - and then
      • SLEEP

      Monday - Thursday

      • Rain
      • Classes
      • Meals
      • Rain
      • Did I mention Rain
      • SLEEP

      Friday

      • Go to class - we had already packed up
      • Switch our shuttle reservation to an earlier one
      • take the shuttle to San Jose airport
      • Get picked up my my SIL, Lisa
      • Drive and get Gianna (my Niece)
      • See their new home in Fremont
      • Have dinner
      • Back to Airport for 9:30 flight
      • Incoming plane had rain delay - then a medical emergency
      • Left California after 11
      • SLEEP ON PLANE (Kinda)

      Saturday

      • Arrive in NYC at 7:00
      • Tom actually got there before us! Yeah Tom!
      • Drive back to CT
      • Have coffee
      • Timi leaves
      • I take a nap
      • Go to Costco
      • Mom offers to meet me part way, so I don't have to do a round trip to upstate New York - we decide to do it Sunday
      • Dinner
      • SLEEP

      Sunday

      • SLEPT LATE!
      • Left at 8:30 for drive to Owego NY
      • Swap Morgan to the other car
      • Return home
      • Work in Studio
      • SLEEP

      Monday

      • WORK - damn!
      • LAUNDRY - Damn
      • DISHES - DAMN!

      I'll post more about the entire trip - and show some photos of my pieces later this week. You can see 4 albums of trip photos (all start with April 06) at http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dabbotts/my_photos . None of these photos has been edited yet. If you are on a high speed the slideshow is the easiest way to watch. One post done - about a dozen more to do!!

      :-D eirdre

      Wednesday, April 05, 2006

      Last day before I'm OFFICIALLY over the hill

      Tomorrow - I am official OLD - really really old... (but not as old as my Mom, who turns 70 tomorrow). But I do think I qualify for an AARP card, and can be listed as an antique. I know I have already lost most of my memory - Just ask my nephews who's birthdays I always forget - Sorry Thomas & Tyler! Here is a little Blog-filler plugging in my birthdate - try it with yours - its fun. Birthday calculator You entered: 4/6/1956 Your date of conception was on or about 15 July 1955 which was a Friday. You were born on a Friday, under the astrological sign Aries. Your Life path number is 4. Life Path Compatibility:You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 4, 8, 11 & 22. You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 6 & 7. You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 3, 5 & 9. The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2435569.5. The golden number for 1956 is 19. The epact number for 1956 is 17. The year 1956 was a leap year. Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/12/1956 and ending 1/30/1957. You were born in the Chinese year of the Monkey. The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 1 April 1956. The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 6 May 1956. The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 15 February 1956. The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 20 May 1956. The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 27 May 1956. The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Thursday, 6 September 1956. The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Tuesday, 27 March 1956. The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 14 February 1956. As of 4/5/2006 11:36:16 AM EDT (a few minutes ago) You are 49 years old. You are 600 months old. You are 2,609 weeks old. You are 18,261 days old. You are 438,275 hours old. You are 26,296,536 minutes old. You are 1,577,792,176 seconds old. Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 7.14716242661448 years old. (You're still chasing cats!) There are 1 days till your next birthdayon which your cake will have 50 candles. Those 50 candles produce 50 BTUs,or 12,600 calories of heat (that's only 12.6000 food Calories!) . You can boil 5.71 US ounces of water with that many candles. In 1956 there were approximately 4.0 million births in the US. In 1956 the US population was approximately 150,697,361 people, 50.7 persons per square mile. In 1956 in the US there were approximately 1,667,231 marriages (11.1%) and 385,144 divorces (2.6%) In 1956 in the US there were approximately 1,452,000 deaths (9.6 per 1000) In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds. In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds. Your birthstone is Diamond The Mystical properties of Diamond Diamonds are said to increase personal clarity to help one see things clearly as well as be straight-forward and honest. Supposedly, the higher quality the diamond, the better it is supports these qualities. Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources) Opal, Quartz, White Sapphire Your birth tree is Rowan, the Sensitivity Full of charm, cheerful, gifted, without egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive. There are 264 days till Christmas 2006! There are 277 days till Orthodox Christmas! The moon's phase on the day you wereborn was waning crescent. Footnotes: Golden Number: A number showing the year of the lunar or Metonic cycle. It is reckoned from 1 to 19, and is so called from having formerly been written in the calendar in gold. Epact Number: The moon's age at the beginning of the calendar year, or the number of days by which the last new moon has preceded the beginning of the year. The Life Path Number The Life Path is the sum of the birth date. This number represents who you are at birth and the native traits that you will carry with you through life. The most important number that will be discussed here is your Life Path number. The Life Path describes the nature of this journey through life. Julian date: The number of days since noon 4713 BC January 1.

      Monday, April 03, 2006

      Happy Birthday Morgan

      Today my darling daughter turned 14 - she is all grown up but I remember her in the wooden cradle that her Great Grandfather built for her! She looked like she came out of a Fairy Tale. Still looking innocent as she sits on the front porch - but I think this last photo (my personal favorite), is a glimpse of things to come! She was planting seeds and plants in my mother's garden and her hair kept blowing in her face - she kept wiping the stray locks away. Her shirt stayed pretty clean!

      Happy Happy Birthday, MORGAN!

      Sunday, April 02, 2006

      Metallic

      This week's Photo Friday challenge is Metallic.
      Here is an photo I took almost 20 years ago!

      Saturday, April 01, 2006

      "B"-hind

      BEHIND - yes I'm always running just a little behind! And no this does not mean you can comment on the size of my ass! BLUE - Pretty isn't it Brothers & Brian - one of my 2 brothers Beautiful - The way I wish I saw more things. Backhoe - One of Tom's favorite toys! Balance - Hard to achieve always too much to do! Batik - ohhh so pretty! Black Birds - I love the Red-Winged variety Berries - Strawberries, Blueberries or Blackberries hard to pick a favorite Bifocals - I'm way past needing them! Birthday - Morgan's birthday is Monday BIG Birthday's - Mom turns 70 and I turn 50 on Thursday!- Blonde - Does she or doesn't she? I've been holding off making this decision. Grey is good - don't you think? Breath - A total pleasure to be able to take - thank you Doctor, I give the operation Thumbs UP! Bubbles - I loved looking at bubbles when I was a kid - and when Adam was little I remember him chasing them all over the yard. Morgan was too Busy for Bubbles! Button - A very good dog, even if he will go with anyone who will pet him!